Hay-rack attachment



No. 752,745. PATENTED FEB. 23, 1904.

J. J. ACTON.

HAY RACK ATTACHMENT. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 0v. so, 1903.

N 0 M 0 D E L 2 S H E E T S S H E E T 1.

I Ill/lI/ll I'lll/ll/lw n v Jl uo meys No., 752,745.- v PATENTED FEB.23, 1904. J. J. ACTON.

HAY RACK ATTACHMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. so, 1903. no MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Patented February 23, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JAMES J. ACTON, OF ELDON, IOWA.

HAY-RACK ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,745, dated February23, 1904.

Application filed lIovemhc: 30, 1903. Serial No. 183,200. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. Aaron, 2. citizen of the United States,residing at Eldon, in

the county of Wapello and State ofIowa, have invented a new and usefulHay-Rack Attachment, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hay-racks, and has for its objects to providethe same witha simple inexpensive attachment in the form of a carrier orplatform adapted to travel and be easily propelled from end to end ofthe rack longitudinally and designed in practice to be positioned at oneend of the rack for the reception from the loader of a part of the loadwhich the rack is to receive and to then be moved with the contained hayto the other end of the rack in order that the remainder of the load maybe received directly upon the first-mentioned end of the body of therack, thus obviating the necessity of pitching the load in smallquantities from one end of the rack tothe other, and consequentlydecreasing the number of attendants employed.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of constructionand combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings,'Figure 1 is a perspective view of arack-body embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of thesame. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the rack, which maybe of the form herein shown or of other preferred construction and ofany suitable material, inasmuch as the same, except as hereinafterspecified, constitutes no part of my invention.

Bolted or otherwise secured to the rack-body is a pair of spaced tracksor guides 2, disposed in parallel relation and extending longitudi nallyof the body from end to end thereof. These tracks by preference and inaccordance with my invention each consist of a wooden beam havingriveted or otherwise secured to its outer vertical edge a channel bar orplate 3, presenting in cross-section a pair of vertically-spacedhorizontal flanges l, the purpose of which will presently appear.

5 designates the movable platform or carrier provided at its front andrear ends with vertically-disposed guards 6 7, respectively consistingof any suitable lattice-work, but

preferably, as herein shown, ofhorizontalrails or slats connected byvertical cross-pieces or standards. This platform, which is made in twosections hingedly connected to permit folding for shipment or storage,has secured to its lower face a pair of longitudinal beams or rails 8,which when the carrier is in position upon the rack lie in parallelismwith and each adjacent to the outer vertical edge of one of the tracksor guides 2. Each of the rails carries a pair of wheels or rollers 9,disposed upon the inner vertical face of the rail and one adjacent toeach end of the latter, these rollers being adapted to seat between andtravel upon the horizontal flanges 4 of the channel-plate, which, asabove described, is a component part of the tracks or' guides. Thewheels or rollers 9 are journaled for rotation upon suitable pintles oraxles 10, extending transversely through the rails 8. From thisarrangement it is apparent that the carrier may travel freely andsmoothly longitudinally of the rack and that the rollers which bear uponthe lower flanges 4 will be prevented from accidentally escapingtherefrom by the upper flanges 4, thus obviating liability of thecarrier during its movements becoming displaced from the tracks.

For propelling the carrier I employ a vertical rotary shaft 11,journaled in suitable bearings 12 and provided at its upper end with anoperating member, preferably in the form of a hand-wheel 13, and at itslower end with a traction member 14:, preferably in the form of asprocket-wheel having teeth 15, which engage the links 16 of asprocket-chain 17 and adapted when the shaft is rotated to draw thecarrier back and forth upon the rack. The chain 17, which is disposed invertical edgewise position, is attached at its rear endto a verticalstud or finger 18, arising from one of the cross-bars of the rack and atits forward end by an adjustable bolt or element 19 to the verticalperforated ear of 'a clip 20, attached to the forward end of the rackFor maintaining the chain in operative engagement with the wheel 14during the propulsion of the carrier I provide a pressure device ormember 21 in the form of a roller journaled for rotation upon a verticalpintle or axle 22, depending from the lower face of the platform just inrear of and in centrallongitudinal alinement with the wheel 14. Thisroller, which bears upon the outer face of the chain with respect to thetraction-wheel, travels freely over said chain, but maintains the latterfirmly in engagement with the traction member.

For locking the carrier against movement I provide a latching device 23,preferably in the form of a vertical longitudinally-movable rod mountedin bearings 24: and positioned adjacent to the shaft 11, whereby itslower end may be moved into and out of engagement with suitable openings25, provided in the member or wheel 14.

From the foregoing it is apparent that when the rack is backed up to andfor the purpose of receiving its load from a hay-loader the carrier maybe moved to the rear of the rack and receive about one half of theentire load of the latter and then be moved forward, permitting the bodyof the rack to receive the other half of the load, and that when ineither of said positions the carrier may be readily locked againstaccidental movement. It is also obvious that during such operation thecarrier will travel smoothly and freely and that the traction mechanismwhile exceedingly strong and durable is at the same time of eX- tremelysimple construction and adapted for ready application to the rack. Inattaining these ends it is to be understood thatI do not limitmyself tothe precise details herein set forth, as minor changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combinationwith a hayrack, of tracks or guides associated therewith, a chainattached to the rack, a carrier mounted for travel upon the tracks orguides, a traction member attached to the carrier and having teethengaging the chain-links, and means for operating the member.

2. The combination with a hay-rack, of tracks or guides associatedtherewith, a chain attached to the rack, a carrier mounted for travelupon the guides, a traction memberattached to the carrier and havingteeth engaging the chain-links, means for'operating the 7 'rier mountedfor travel upon the guides, a

chain attached to the rack, a traction member connected with the carrierand having teeth engaging the chain-links, means for operating themember, and a rotary pressure-roller for maintaining the chaininengagement with the member.

4. The combination with a hayrack, of tracks or guides associatedtherewith, a carrier mounted for travel upon the guides, a chaindisposed vertically on edge and attached to the rack, a rotary shaftconnected with the carrier, a traction member carried by the shaft andhaving teeth engaging the chain-links, and an operating member connectedwith the shaft.

5. The combination with a hayrack, of tracks or guides associatedtherewith and having spaced horizontal flanges, a carriermount ed fortravel upon the guides and having guide rollers arranged between theflanges, and interengaging members carried by the rack and carrier andoperable for moving the latter.

6. The combination with a hay rack, of tracks or guides associatedtherewith and having spaced horizontal flanges, a carrier mounted fortravel upon the guides and carrying guide-rollers arranged between theflanges, a chain attached to the rack, a traction member connected withthe carrier and having teeth engaging the chain-links, and means foroperating the member. i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. ACTON.

Witnesses:

E. L. SHORE, E. E. NEFF.

